5 Questions: For Marsh Davis, preservation fuels change

By: Jill Phillips
1:48 p.m. EDT April 12, 2014

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Marsh Davis enjoys showing off the Grand Hall at Indiana Landmarks’ headquarters, 1201 Central Ave. Marsh, the president of Indiana Landmarks, was instrumental in the preservation of the former Central Avenue Methodist Church at the site, which is now his organization’s headquarters.
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Marsh Davis, president of Indiana Landmarks, would drive to anywhere with his employees.

That willingness comes from advice offered to him early in his career: A mentor once told him, “Never hire someone you would not want to drive with to El Paso.”

Davis’ circuitous career at Indiana Landmarks began as an intern with the organization in the mid-1980s. He returned in 2006 as its president. Along the way, he worked in historic preservation in Texas.

He believes success comes from motivating the entire organization to be focused on its mission.

“When we set out to save or to celebrate a historic place, I’ve encouraged a team — as opposed to a top-down — approach that respects individuals’ distinct talents and strengths and that encourages creativity,” he said.

Davis was instrumental in the preservation of the Central Avenue Methodist Church, now the headquarters of Indiana Landmarks. The Indiana Landmarks Center now is one of his favorite places. He enjoys the “wows” he gets when people see the Grand Hall for the first time.

Among his other favorites is the West Baden (Ind.) Springs Hotel and the Stutz Business Center in Downtown Indianapolis.

“Since I’ve been at this for a while, I’d say my best work has come through the broadening of what we consider worth preserving. Working, for instance, to advance the preservation of historic African American places, rural resources, and vernacular architecture has been extremely meaningful,” he said.

Question: How do you define leadership?

Answer: Leadership involves effecting change and solving problems, often quietly and always without self interest, while adhering to the mission. It requires vision and the ability to successfully invite others to embrace and share in that vision.

Q: What do you know now that you wish you knew 10 years ago?

A: I suppose it would be not to worry so much. There’s a reflective line in a John Mellencamp song that sums it up: “I have worried about many things, most of which did not come to pass.” How true.

Q: What is the biggest challenge facing your industry today?

A: There’s a lingering misperception that historic preservation is all about stopping things from happening. To the contrary, historic preservation is a catalyst for positive change. The misperception affects us at all levels — from public policy to individuals’ understanding of what we do. Our continuing challenge is to reveal the tremendous, positive impact of historic preservation in the revitalization of communities throughout Indiana and across America, and that saving meaningful, historic places enriches the lives of present and future generations.

Q: Some people think “historic preservation” is another way of saying “against progress.” What do you say to them?

A: On the surface, there’s some fairness to that criticism. At times the preservation movement has focused on the regulatory side, which is important to saving places, but it’s not even half of the story. What I would say is this: “What’s anti-progress about revitalizing neighborhoods and downtowns, about returning dilapidated properties to active service, about beautifying our world, creating jobs and putting properties back on the tax roles, about saving meaningful places for future generations to enjoy?” That’s what we do, and if that’s counted as anti-progress, then I’ll happily accept the criticism.

Q: You have often said historic preservation is more about the human element, rather than the architecture. What do you mean by that and how can you get more people involved in your mission?

A: Saving and preserving are means to an end. We don’t seek to save buildings for their own sake. We do it for people. The end we seek is to engage people with historic places in a meaningful way. The best way to involve people in our mission is to engage them in celebrating the beauty, character and variety that Indiana’s historic places offer.

To recommend someone for this feature, call Jill Phillips at (317) 444-6246 or email her at jill.phillips@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @JillPhillips05.

More about Marsh Davis

• Title: President and chief executive officer of Indiana Landmarks.

• Age: 56.

• Education background: Bachelor’s degree from Butler University and a master’s degree from Ball State University College of Architecture and Planning.

• Family: Davis and his wife, Grace, have two daughters.

• Quote: “Buildings are the most subtle, accurate and enduring records of life. ... In the aggregate, the architecture of a people certainly represents the greatest amount of human effort applied to the realization of purely human ideals.” —Walter Burley Griffin